Tag: LEAP Center

A Future in Law: Moot Court, Day 1

By Beatriz Martinez

124 competitors. All impeccably dressed in suits. All vigorously trained. All eager for the challenge ahead. All vying for that one top prestigious position. All gathered at the University of North Texas College of Law where the beginning of something intriguing and educational was about to commence.

On October 21st, participants arrived at their very first Moot Court Scrimmage of the year. More than 13 different schools from all over the region had come to partake in this unique event. In the midst of all of this was the SHSU Moot Court team, comprised of Kaitlyn Tyra, Alejandra Galvan, Austin Taylor, Kristyn Couvillion, Bryan Rodriguez, and Beatriz Martinez. Since the beginning of the school year, these future attorneys have been preparing for an extremely challenging competition. Not only would they have to prove their worth to their opponents, but also to the law students, lawyers, and other experts in judicial procedures that would be serving as judges.

Moot Court, SHSU, LEAP Center

“Being in the moot court is very tough and challenges its competitors in ways most would otherwise not experience until they attend law school,” noted Mooter Kaitlyn Tyra.

The competition lasted for two days, whereupon each round included two moot court teams (comprised of two people) that presented in front of a panel of judges and argued on both sides of the problem case at bar. After the end of the first day, only the top 32 teams would go on to the next day for their second set of rounds.

Students spend much time reading case briefs, analyzing them, preparing their arguments, and presenting them in practices. Moot court helps enhance public speaking (which is most people’s worst nightmare), increasing confidence, time management, literacy improvement, and other essential qualities to succeed in law-driven career. It also enhances a student’s law-school resume.

Moot Court, UNT, SHSU, LEAP Center

Having arrived a bit early, SHSU’s six moot court members decided to go over their arguments a bit more before the competition began. After their diligent preparations, the SHSU students decided to go eat at the local Italian restaurant, Porta di Roma. A local favorite among the UNT students, this quaint, little restaurant offered succulent Italian dishes. Known for its amazing pizza, many of the students decided to try the special of the day. Others were a bit more adventurous and tasted the lasagna.

As 1 pm approached, the SHSU students headed back to the UNT campus to wait for the real adventure to begin. Each team was destined to go through three different rounds, competing against different teams during each round.  Judges evaluated each speaker on the basis of their knowledge, argument organization, forensic skill, and response to questions.

When the last round ended, everyone met back at the common area of the UNT campus and waited anxiously for the results to come in.Most of us ranked near the middle of the pack, in the mid-50s or mid-60s, but Austin Taylor ranked among the top third of students, coming in at 38th (out of 124 participants).

Then the results everyone had been waiting for arrived. Out of 62 teams, only 32 could advance to the second day. One of our SHSU Moot Court teams made it onto the Round of 32! Austin Taylor (one of the first-year students) and Kristyn Couvillion (a second-year student) made it to the second round. Our team let out a great victorious whoop (customary if one of your teammates manages to advance).

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Finally, the end of the day arrived and everyone went home to rest after a day full of challenges. That is except for Austin and Kristyn, who had one more day of suits, challenges, and a day of tantalizing victory for the number one spot.

Campaigning at the Deadline: Experiential Learning with LEAP

By Brian Aldaco

With early elections around the corner, more and more  candidates on the November ballots are upping the ante in order to secure a victory this November 8th. This is especially true of Congressman Will Hurd’s campaign in District 23 against Pete Gallego, which has made it the most contested district in Texas. As Congressman Hurd’s re-election campaign draws to a close, Republican officials from varying levels of government have assisted in his efforts, including Paul Ryan, Gregg Abbot, Tom Mechler (Chairman of the Texas Republican Party), and others.

This past Friday, Congressman Pete Olson and his staff flew from DC to join the list of party officials to contribute to the Republican success in the district. Among the staff members and the Congressman who convoyed from Sugar Land to Del Rio there was a group of volunteers ready and eager to help in Hurd’s Campaign.  I spent my Friday afternoon completing the six-hour trip down to the border town of Del Rio and canvassing in favor of Congressman Hurd on Saturday.Congressman Will Hurd, SHSU, LEAP, Brian Aldaco, Pete Olson

With staffers located in DC, many of those in the convoy were more than happy to finally be in their home state of Texas, Congressman Olson included. On the way to Del Rio I was placed with a volunteer from Richmond (a retiree who had worked for the TSA in DC, the Corrections Board in Baltimore, and traveled around the world), a District Director for Congressman Olson, and a DC intern (freshly graduated from A&M who was among those ready to indulge in the Texas spirit). Passing through old Texas towns, vast free-range pastures, and some barren patches, the road became longer and lonelier as we got near border. From pines and oaks, the landscape turned into shrubs, sand, and mesquites, a desolate land with a few settlement’s along the way. After crossing the border patrol check point, marking the 25 mile mark before arriving to Mexico, we remarked how there was still no signs of civilization as we neared Del Rio. Eventually however, we neared a medium-sized building which advertised fajitas and tortilla chips; we had finally entered Del Rio.

As our first time in Del Rio for all of us, and the first time that close to the border for most, Ms. Dana Benoit (Congressman Olson’s campaign manger) deemed it apt, some may say necessary, to dine with a feast of Mexican cuisine. So being we entered Manuel’s Steakhouse, where those DC émigrés relished upon the savor of fajitas, tacos, and margaritas (a taste of authentic Mexican which they had long been waiting for). With conversation about the hectic DC lifestyle, the night soon came to an end. We then retired to our hotel rooms to rest and get ready for the block-walk-filled Saturday.

Upon waking up in the little Del Rio hotel, we packed our bags and met inside the local Chick-Fil-A. There we met campaign staffers from the Hurd team, Hurd’s Chief of Staff included. After a briefing of the day’s plan, and some words of encouragement from Congressman Olson, we climbed into our assigned cars and immersed ourselves within the Del Rio community.

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The team I was assigned to included Stoney Burke (Congressman Hurd’s chief of staff) and Jorge (a student from the University of Houston), who had traveled with us from Sugarland. With a majority hispanic constituency, Being able to speak Spanish was a real benefit for Jorge and me because we were able to communicate better with the voters we met during the day. Like any other block-walking operation, however, the number of constituents that answered the door was minimal. However, those that did answer were friendly and cared about their community, considering it highly important to choose the best to represent them at DC. Through meeting with constituents we learned how their major concerns rested on border security, adequate care of veterans, and the proper maintenance of Highway 277. We continued block walking, driving through houses of all shapes and sizes that resembled Mexican architecture, until we finished two sets of walk books.

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With only a few constituents declaring that they will not vote for Hurd, those from the Hurd and Olson campaign alike considered the day a very positive indicator of what the results would be come November 8.

After we all finished our assignments, we regrouped at Chick-Fil-A to get ready for our drive back to Sugar Land. We then said our goodbyes to the Hurd Campaign, extremely grateful to help Congressman Hurd, and bid farewell to Del Rio. With the sun bearing its last rays on the endless pastures of green and hay, we sped through highway 90 en route to Sugar Land. As we left the border town we sympathized with that dimming twilight which shone its last glimmering lights to make way for the unknown night. With such an uncertain presidential election, all we can do now is wait for November 8th to come and hope that our contributions will at least yield victory at the local level.

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The LEAP Center does not engage in partisan politics.  The Center does provide internship and volunteer opportunities for students.  In the past two years, we’ve worked with students who have interned or volunteered for the Democratic, Republican, and Green Parties. 

Mock LSAT: Prepping for the Real Thing

Every semester, the LEAP Center offers a Mock LSAT, a chance for pre-law students to practice the most important test of their careers. The Mock test is an actual exam used by the LSAT in previous years, it is professionally scored by Kaplan, and students receive their scores the day they take it.  The only difference from the real thing is that this one doesn’t count.

Mock LSAT, Kaplan, SHSU, LEAP Center

For many of the test-takers, that’s a good thing.  The scores on the Mock LSAT tend to be low, primarily because we have a lot of people who are freshmen, sophomores, or otherwise unprepared for the test.  But that’s a good thing, too.  The LEAP Center encourages students to try the Mock LSAT as soon as possible, allowing them to see where they are in the preparation stage, and to have a better idea about how much time they will need to be ready for the real thing.  Our advice is to prepare for the LSAT correctly, and to take it once.

Here is the LEAP Center’s suggested timeline:

  • As early as possible, freshman year if possible: Take Mock LSAT
  • Spring or Summer of Junior Year: Take LSAT Prep, if needed
  • Summer of Junior Year/Fall of Senior Year: Take LSAT

The LSAT Prep course isn’t a panacea, and not all students will need to take it.  But unless a student has the score they want to get into the school they are hoping for, or unless a student can study 12-16 hours a week without the discipline of meeting times and deadlines, then the LSAT prep is a reasonable option.

But an LSAT prep test isn’t likely to get a student from a 140 to a 160 (it’s been done, but it isn’t likely).  But it might get a student from a 145 to a 152, and that’s the difference between going to Texas Southern University to going to Texas Tech, and that’s a big difference in terms of life and career opportunities.

Mock LSAT, SHSU, Kaplan, LEAP Center

For students with a score below a 140, particularly those who are a junior or senior, a year might not be sufficient to get the score you need.  For those in this situation, a gap year should be considered, while a long-term plan for LSAT-prep is undertaken.  For those who are scoring in the 160s, a good law school is already within reach, and it’s just a matter of how high you can climb.

But whatever the goals the student has, taking the Mock LSAT early on in his/her school career is to the student’s advantage.

The LEAP Center will likely offer another Mock LSAT in February 2017.

Law School Informational: Texas Tech Law

By Beatriz Martinez

Thirty or so bright- eyed students attentively paid attention to Danielle Saveedra, the Associate Dean of Recruitment for Texas Tech University’s School of Law.  She was presenting information on the next stage these aspiring attorneys-to-be were contemplating: applying to law school. Crucial questions such as where to start when considering law school, the application process, and what to look for in a law school, were  all discussed during the presentation and absorbed by the students.

TX Tech Law School, LEAP Center, SHSU

Ms. Saveedra had come to SHSU to guide us through the process of preparing for law school.  In a nutshell, she walked us through:

  • A timeline for law-school preparation
  • Taking the LSAT
  • Deciding which law schools to send applications
  • Applying to Law School, including
    • sending in transcripts, reference letters, the resume, and the personal statement

This may sound quite simple, however it is in fact considerably challenging. A law school’s environment whether cut-throat or nurturing, emphasis on certain types of law, and cost of living, Ms. Saavedra told us, will influence where a student may decide to go. Decisions on what law schools to apply to (each application has a fee), or choosing between a good law school that costs less versus a more prestigious at a higher cost can pose challenges even to a well-prepped student.

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However, all of these decisions were weighed and measured during the law school informational. Ms. Saveedra covered every single possible piece of information needed to be successful in law school and gave constructive tips. Every prospective attorney left reeling with information, but departed knowing they were now better prepared for the challenging journey ahead. Law school will now be less intimidating, allowing students to further their education in the legal field.

Noises Off-Laughter On

By Beatriz Martinez

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“Everyone please take your seats, turn off your phones, and open any candy wrapper that needs to be opened. The show will now begin.” The Leap Ambassadors enthusiastically sat down inside the Erica Starr Theatre waiting for the curtains to open as they were waiting for “Noises Off” to begin. This three act play is well known for its converging perspectives that revolve around one plot. It is a “play within a play.”

Noises Off, SHSU, LEAP Center

The main story consists of a theatrical group trying to put together a performance in the midst of personal drama, lovers’ quarrels, quirky characters, and a director with a god complex. During the first act, we are introduced to the different characters during the dress rehearsal of their own play “Noises On.” Just like any other dress rehearsal, there were many missed cues, missed lines, and missing (drunk) actors …”well, you know,” as Garry says. In the second act, the actual performance begins and we see the backstage perspective. The performers have been left on their own and tension is high. Mayhem runs rampant behind the scenes, and at some points even on stage. Regardless of everyone “trying” to get the show on the road, axes fly, bourbon bottles are drunk, and slaps are thrown around, making for a spectacularly silly sight to behold.

The third and final act allowed the viewers to see the final performance of “Noises On” in its full glory.

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A very short glory that is, as sardines went flying everywhere along with the actors. Doors opened and doors closed (on the characters). And sometimes they could not be opened again. But we did have to applaud their improvisation skills coupled with a great choreography. It gave the audience a big laugh as we watched their performance go from bad to worse, leaving the audience to ponder Brooke’s “Sorry?”

Noises Off, SHSU, LEAP Center, Double Double

 

As the remarkable farce ended, everyone laughed and cheered while giving the SHSU performers a standing ovation as the SHSU theater department once more gave an excellent performance.